Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 535: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the measures he has put in place, or intends to put in place, to address the unreliability of the method of analysis which Ireland has practised in relation to the discharge of dangerous substances into lakes that were identified in the European Court of Justice judgement against Ireland of 2 June 2005 whereby samples are taken from the centres of lakes (details supplied). [15986/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Primary responsibility for the monitoring of water quality in Ireland is assigned statutorily to local authorities and the Environment Protection Agency (EPA). My Department is in ongoing communication with the European Commission regarding the measures to be taken to comply with the wide-ranging judgment of the European Court of Justice in relation to implementation of the Dangerous Substances Directive in Ireland.

In addition, in the context of the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, proposals for a comprehensive new monitoring programme for surface and groundwaters are being developed by the EPA. This programme will cover biological, physico-chemical, chemical and hydromorphological parameters and will be operational by December 2006.